I forgot to mention, for anyone not familiar with Valle Vista, that it is EBMUD property and a permit from EBMUD (available online and good for all of EBMUD's public trails) is required to enter. You

Thanks to Bill Cone and Johan Langweis for finding and calling attention to the Lewis' Woodpecker at Valle Vista last week. This note is to report that as of yesterday it was still there, sticking pre

Yesterday at about 6PM, three different swallow species were busy foraging over Jewel Lake in Tilden Regional Park: Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Violet-Green Swallow and Tree Swallow. Also Western T

If the stars align, this may be an unusual opportunity to quietly watch a pair nest and breed. The first report of a Pileated Woodpecker in the vicinity of the current nest building was April 8 by Tom

My thanks to Alan Bade who wondered if the bird I saw could be a Nashville Warbler rather than a MacGillivray's. He is correct. The bright yellow throat and complete white eye-rings make it a Nashvill

Many thanks to Paul Schorr (April 7) and Jim Chiropolos (April 10) for their helpful posts about sightings at Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve. The Phainopepla was in the same area Paul described

I am reasonably sure that the same Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (young male) first reported at Lake Anza in January continues there as of today. It looks almost exactly identical, except that from the fro

Yesterday (Saturday 1/30) at around 4:30PM, I was treated to the delightful sight of two Black Skimmers plying the waters along the Bay's coast from the Richmond Marina entrance down to Shimada Park a

The young male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker continues at Lake Anza, seen in the same place noted by others. Photos below taken in the oak tree about 30 feet west of the spillway bridge between the lake an

This morning at about 8AM there was a Merlin in north Berkeley, perched near Hinkel Park and then in flight towards Tilden. Photos for id purposes: https://www.flickr.com/photos/99583878@N06/507850402

Yesterday I saw and photographed a pair of Red Crossbills on restricted EBMUD land (no trail access, sorry) in the conifers on the east side of the San Pablo Reservoir. The pair, one male and the othe

Yesterday at the Tilden Nature Area Black-headed Grosbeaks were singing loudly from multiple places, but especially by Wildcat Creek Trail in the vicinity of Jewel Lake. When they arrive they have to

I think it is not clear yet whether the Governor's order will be consistent or inconsistent with the earlier county orders that explicitly do allow some outdoor activities as long as proper social dis

Birders, This morning at approximately 10:30AM, I saw what I believe to be a Cassin’s Finch at the Tilden Botanical Gardens. It was sitting on a tree top near the center of the Garden. It had the dist

This morning at about 9:30AM I saw at least three, perhaps as many as five, FOS Townsend's Warblers in the pines on both sides of the Seaview Trail in the Vollmer Peak area of Tilden Regional Park. Ph

There are three different sightings mentioned briefly here, all at Jewel Lake. 1. Alan Kaplan led another excellent GGAS walk yesterday, which led to some terrific views of Pygmy Nuthatches. Here are

Friday at Arrowhead Marsh (MLK Regional Shoreline) Dunlins, Short-billed Dowitchers and Spotted Sandpipers were still present and in breeding plumages, making them somewhat easier to identify (Dunlins

Earlier this morning on the UC Berkeley Peregrine Falcon nest, there were only two eggs. But at 11:38AM I saw clearly a third egg, just as Alan Fish correctly predicted last night at the GGAS talk. Ne

Tuesday at the Richmond Marina the Snow Goose with the 8 Greater White-fronted Geese continue in the lawn areas. At Miller-Knox, two Eurasian Wigeons continue in the pond. Also, the Black Oystercatche

At 10:50 this morning, I found and photographed the continuing Summer Tanager at Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve. It was in the oaks about 10 yards down the trail from the bench at the first view p